Royals Rumblings - News for July 3, 2015

Royals Rumblings - News for July 3, 2015

Sam Mellinger profiles Chris Young and how he succeeds without velocity.

"The game is too hung up on that," Young says. "It’s the most quantifiable aspect of pitching. But if they could quantify deception, or a heavy ball, that stuff is more important than velocity. You can have a guy throwing 92 but with an extremely heavy ball and late life, then a guy throwing 97 and getting smoked."

Clark Fosler at Royals Authority is fed up with Omar Infante.

If you want to give Alex Rios some more time to get healthy (or interested), I can buy into that. I am not sure that keeps you from giving Jarrod Dyson some more at-bats against right-handed pitching, but I can live with that logic for a couple more weeks.

Infante? No, no more time and I don’t want to hear about the money. Are you playing to win the World Series or are you trying to balance the books? If it is the latter and I don’t really think it is at this point (for once), then screw it and hope. If the money, at least for 2015 is not an issue, then the Royals would be fools to not seize whatever opportunity there is to upgrade.

Let’s face it, as constructed right now (majors and minors) the Royals’ window likely closes at the end of 2016. If enough things go right and enough money flows, maybe that gets extended, but the number of ‘ifs’ that keep this team not just contending but being a frontrunner is a long list. If you can see it, you have to take it. The Royals can see a championship at the end of 2015. Go out and take it.

David Hill at Kings of Kauffman liked what he saw out of Danny Duffy this week.

At first, it would not seem as though Duffy had that great of an outing. After all, he gave up four earned runs, surrendered a home run and had a run scoring wild pitch. Those numbers are not exactly the type that inspire confidence that Duffy is getting back to form.

However, that may actually be the case. Duffy, for only the third time this season, pitched into the seventh inning. In his 6.2 innings of work, Duffy only threw 97 pitches. His last 97 pitch outing, on May 11th, resulted in Duffy only lasting 3.2 innings. It is a sign that, while the results may not have been what he wanted, Duffy was, at least to a degree, attacking the Astros lineup.

The Royals announce changes to parking lot exits at Kauffman Stadium.

Royals farmhands Casey Coleman, Dusty Coleman, Casey Kotchman, and Buddy Baumann will represent Team USA at the Pan American Games in a few weeks.

The Cardinals fire scouting director Chris Correa in connection with the hacking scandal.

Here's your international signing day tracker.

Wanna be General Manager of the Angels?

Athletics Nation catalogues Billy Butler's five infield singles and one triple this season.

Old friend Willie Bloomquist is out of a job.

Manny Ramirez loves coaching, and the Cubs love having him around.

Was this Montreal Expos stadium the best stadium never built?

SB Nation interviews Melissa Mayeux, the French baseball player.

Four boys under the age of 12 will face arson charges in connection with the fire that burned down Eugene Civic Stadium.

No one wants to play with Kobe Bryant.

Jon Bois tells us how NOT to make guacamole.

The Supreme Court sides with companies over unpaid interns, so get back to work Kevins.

"Maria" from "Sesame Street" is retiring after 44 years.

The trailer to "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp" from Netflix.

Meet the guy trying to build a fairer stock exchange to beat the high frequency traders.

Three reasons the American Revolution was a mistake.

What is America's most patriotic dish?

Have a great Independence Day weekend everyone. Your song of the day is Bruce Springsteen with "This Land is Your Land."